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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26478	A testimony of antiquity shewing the ancient faith in the Church of England, touching the sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord here publickly preached, and also received in the Saxons time, above 600 years agoe.; Sermo de sacrificio in die Pascae. English	Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham.; Joscelyn, John, 1529-1603.; Parker, Matthew, 1504-1575.; Lisle, William, 1579?-1637.	1675 (1675)	Wing A677; ESTC R38168	20,773	42

A TESTIMONY OF ANTIQUITY Shewing The Ancient Faith of the Church of England Touching the SACRAMENT Of the Body and Blood of the LORD Here Publickly Preached And also received in the Saxons time above Seven Hundred years agoe Jeremiah 6. Go into the streets and inquire for the old way and if it be the good and right way then go therein that ye may find rest for your souls But they say we will not walk therein OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the University Anno Dom. 1675. The Preface to the Christian Reader GREAT Contentions hath now been of long time about the most comfortable Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ our Saviour In the Inquisition and determination whereof many be charged and condemned of Heresie and reproved as bringers up of new Doctrine not known of old in the Church before Berengarius time who taught in France in the daies when William the Norman was by Conquest King of England and Hildebrand otherwise called Gregorius the Seventh was Pope of Rome But that thou mayest know good Christian Reader how this is advouched more boldly then truly in especial of some certain men which be more ready to maintain their old judgment then of humilitie to submit themselves unto a truth here is set forth unto thee a Testimony of very Ancient time wherein is plainly shewed what was the judgment of the Learned men in this matter in the daies of the Saxons before the Conquest First thou hast here a Sermon or Homelie for the holy day of Easter written in the old English or Saxon speech which doth of set purpose and at large intreat of this Doctrine and i●●ound among many other Sermons in the same old speech made for other Festival daies and Sondaies of the year and used to be spoken orderly according to those daies unto the people as by the books themselves it doth well appear And of such Sermons be yet many books to be seen partly remaining in private mens hands and taken out from Monasteries at their dissolution partly yet reserved in the I ibraries of Cathedral Churches as of Worcester Hereford and Exeter From which places diverse of these books have been delivered into the hands of the most Reverend Father Matthew Arch-bishop of Canterbury by whose diligent search for such writings of History and other Monuments of Antiquitie as might reveal unto us what hath been the state of our Church in England from time to time these things that be here made known unto thee do come to light Howbeit the Sermons were not first written in the old Saxon tongue but were Translated into it as it should appear from the Latine For about the end of a Saxon book of LX Sermons which hath about the middest of it this Sermon against the bodily presence be added these words of the Translator writ in Saxon and thus Englished He let pass many good Gospels which he that list may Translate For we dare not enlarge this book much further least it be over great and so cause to men lothsomness through his bigness And in another book containing some of the Saxon Sermons it is also thus written in Latine In ho● codicillo continentur duodecim Sermones Anglicae quos accepimus de libris quos Aelfricus Abbas Anglicè transtulit In this book be comprised 12 Sermons which we have taken out of the books that Aelfrick Abbot Translated into English In which words truly there is also declared who was the Translator to wit one Aelfrick And so he doth confess of himself in the Preface of his Saxon Grammer where he doth moreover give us to understand the number of the Sermons that he Translated thus His words be in Saxon and thus in English I Aelfrick was desirous to turn into our English tongue from the art of Letters called Grammer this little book after that I had Translated the Two books in Fourscore Sermons But howsoever it be now manifest enough by this above declared how that these Sermons were Translated I think notwithstanding that there will hardly be found of them any Latine books being I fear me utterly perished and made out of the way since the Conquest by some which could not well brooke this Doctrine And that such hath been the dealing of some partial Readers may partly hereof appear There is yet a very Ancient book of Canons of Worcester Library and is for the most part all in Latine but yet intermingled in certain places even three or four leaves together with the old Saxon tongue and one place of this book handleth this matter of the Sacrament but a few lines wherein did consist the chief point of the Controversie be rased out by some Reader yet consider how the corruption of him whosoever he was is bewrayed This part of the Latine book was taken out of two Epistles of Alfricks before named and were written of him as well in the Saxon tongue as the Latine The Saxon Epistles be yet wholely to be had in the Librarie of the same Church in a book written all in Saxon and is Intituled A Book of Canons and Shrift book But in the Church of Exeter these Epistles be seen both in the Saxon tongue and also in the Latine By the which it shall be easie for any to restore again not only the sense of the place rased in Worcester book but also the very same Latine Words And the words of these two Epistles so much as concern the Sacramental bread and wine we here set immediately after the Sermon First in English then the words of the second in English and Latine delivering them most faithfully as they are to be seen in the books from whence they are taken And as touching the Saxon writings they be set out in such form of Letters and dark speech as was then used when they were written Translated also for our better understanding into our common and usual English speech 〈◊〉 now it remaineth we do make known who this Aelfrick was whom we here speak of in what age he lived and in what estimation He was truly brought up in the Schools of Aethelwolde Bishop of Winchester Aethelwolde I mean the Elder and great Saint of Winchester Church So Canonized because in the daies of Edgar King of England he conspired with Dunstane Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Oswalde Bishop of Worcester to expel out of the Cathedral Churches throughout all England the Married Priests which then were in those Churches the old dwellers as writeth Renulphus Cestren●is in his Polli●ronicon and to set up of new the Religion or rather Superstition Hipocrisie of Monks after that the same had been a long time by the just judgment of God utterly abolished the Danes spoyling them and cruelly burning them in their houses as is at large and plentifully confessed in the Historie of their own Churches For this new rearing up of Monkery is Aethelwolde called in most Histories Pater Monachorum the Father of Monks Under this

to Saint Peters Church in Exeter by Leofrick the first and most famous Bishop of that Church as in his own Record and Grant of all such Lands Books and other Things he gave unto the Church expressed in the Saxon Tongue but in English thus Here is shewed in this Book or Charter what Leofrike Bishop hath given unto St. Peter's Minster at Exeter where his Bishops Seat is that is That he hath got in again through God's help whatsoever was taken out c. First shewing what Lands of such as was taken from the Church be recovered again partly by his earnest complaint and suit made for the same partly by his giving of rewards Next making also report what Lands with other Treasure of his own he gave of new to the place He cometh at last to the rehearsal of his Books whereof the last here named is a Canon book in Latine and a Shrift-book in English is the Book we speak of and hath in it the Latine and Saxon Epistles of Aelfrick Thus as this Book of Exeter Church hath this good evidence by which it is shewed that Leofrike was the giver thereof even so the Book of Canons of Worcester Church written all in Saxon hath in it most certain testimony that the Writer thereof was the publick Scribe of the Church whose name was Wulfgeat For thus is it recorded therein even with the same hand of the Scribe wherein all the Book is written In English thus Wulfgeat the Scribe of Worcester Church did write me Pray I beseech you for his transgressions the Creator of the world And God grant that he be alwaies happy that writ me The other Book of Canons of Worcester Library which I have said is for the more part in Latine and is intituled Admonitio spiritualis doctrinae is written in so old an hand as is that of Exeter Church and seemes to be possessed of Wulfstane who was Bishop of Worcester in the daies of William the Conqueror And that he should be the possessor of this ●ook I do thus affirm when in his daies Lanfrank made first this Law of Priests in the Councel he held at Winchester in the year of our Lord 1076. Decretum est ut nullus Canonicus llxorem habeat Sacerdotum vero in Castellis vel in vicis habitantium habentes llxores non cogantur ut dimittant non habentes interdicantur ut habeant Et deinceps caveant Episcopi ut Sacerdotes vel Diaco●●● non praesumant ordinare nisi prius profite●●tur ut 〈◊〉 non habeant That is It is decreed that no Canon have a Wife But of Prie●●s such as have Wives dwelling in Castles and Villages let them not be compelled to put away their Wives but such Priests as have no Wives forbid them to have And let bishops take heed that they presume not to ordain Priests or Deacons unless they do first profess to have no Wives Now albeit this and many other Councels held from time to time by the space more then of an hundred years after this did little avail but that the Priests did both marry and still kept their Wives because as writeth Gerardus Arch-bishop of York to Anselm Cum ad ordines aliquos invito dura cervice re●●tuntur re in ordinando castitatem profiteantur When I call any to Orders they resist with a stiff neck that they do not in taking Order profess Chastity Or as is reported in the Saxon story of Peterborow Church speaking of the Councels of Anselm of John of Cremona and of William Arch-bishop of Canterbury All these Decrees availed nothing they all kept their Wives still by the Kings leave as they did before Yet it came to pass upon this Decree of Lanfrank that the form of words wherein the Priests should vow Chastity was now first put into some Bishops Pontifical Ego frater N. promitto Deo omnibusque Sanctis ejus castitatem corporis mei secundum Canonum decreta secundum ordinem mihi imponendum servare domino praesule N. praesente And as the words were thus put into some Pontifical in a general speaking as the manner is so in the beginning of this Book we here speak of wherein be Aelfrick's Epistles are the self-same words of profession written in the same old hand as is the rest of the Book and addeth also there the special name of Wulfstane Bishop who was present at this Councel of Lanfrank and unto whom it did first appertain to exact of Priests in the Diocess of Worcester this profession The words be these Ego frater N. promitto Deo omnibusque Sanctis ejus castitatem corporis mei secundum Canonum decreta secundum ordinem mihi imponendum domino praesule Wulfstano praesente I brother N. do promise to God and all his Saints chastity of my body according to the Decrees of Canons and according to the order to be put upon me before Wulfstane Bishop By this I do affirm that this Book did belong to Wulfstane Bishop of Worcester and so by him was afterward given to the Library of that Church where it now remaineth Wherefore of this now declared First touching the Sermon spoken of in the begining whereof as of many other contained in two Books Aelfrick was but the Translator and therefore were Books of Sermons before his time N●●● touching the publick receiving of the Epistles of Aelfrick wherein I say is denied the Bodily Presence and also by the infarcing afterward of these Epistles by Bishops into their Books of Canons in stead of Exhortations to be used unto their Clergy it is not hard to know not only so much what Aelfrick's judgment was in this controversie but also that more is what was the common received Doctrine herein of the Church of England as well when Aelfrick himself lived as before his time and also after his time even from him to the Conquest But what was the condition and state of the Church when Aelfrick himself lived In deed to confess the truth it was in divers points of Religion full of blindness and ignorance full of childish servitude to Ceremonies as it was long before and after and too much given to the love of Monkery which now at this time unmeasurably took root and grew excessively But yet to speak what the Adversaries of the Truth have judged of this time it is most certain that there is no Age of the Church of England which they have more reverenced and thought more holy than this For of what Age have they Canonized unto us more Saints and to their liking more notable First Odo Arch-bishop of Canterbury who died in the beginning of King Edgar's Reign Then King Edgar himself by whom Aelfrick was made Abbot of Malmsbury Then Edward called the Martyr King Edgar's Bastard-Son Then Editha King Edgar's Bastard-Daughter Also Dunstane Arch-bishop of Canterbury of whom Aelfrick was greatly esteemed Aethelwold Bishop of Winchester under whom Aelfrick had his first bringing up Oswald Bishop of Worcester

life before that the last day of the universal resurrection do appear If we cannot search out throughly all the mysterie of Christs Incarnation then ought we to betake the rest unto the might of the Holy Ghost with true humilitie and not to search rashly of that deep secretness above the measure of our understanding They did eat the Lambs flesh with their loynes girt In the loines is the lust of the bodie And he which will receive that housel shall cover that concupiscence and take with chastitie that holy receipt They were also shod What be shoes but of the hides of dead beasts We be truly shod if we follow in our steps and deeds the life of men departed which please God with keeping of hiscommandements They had Staves in their hands when they eat This stafe signifieth a carefulness and a diligent overseing And all they that best know and can should take care of other men and stay them up with their help It was injoyned to the eaters that they should eat the Lamb in haste For God abhoreth slouthfulness in his servants And those he loveth that seek the joy of everlasting life with quickness and hast of mind It is written Prolong not to turn unto God least the time pass away through thy slow tarrying The eaters might not break the Lambs bones No more might the Souldiers that did hang Christ break his holy legs as they did of the two Theeves that hanged on either side of him And the Lord r●se from death sound without all corruption and at the last judgment they shall see him whom they did most cruelly wound on the Cross This time is called in the Hebrew tongue Pasca and in Latine Transitus and in Enghish a Passover because that on this day the people of Israel passed from the land of Aegypt over the Red sea from bondage to the Land of promise So also did our Lord at this time depart as saith John the Evangelist from this world to his heavenly Father-Even so we ought to follow our head and to go from the devil to Christ from this unstable world to his stable kingdom Howbeit we should first in this present life depart from vice to holy virtue from evil manners to good manners if we will after this corruptible life go to that eternal life and after our resurrection to Christ. He brings us to his everliving Father who gave him to death for our sins To him be honour and praise of well-doing world without end Amen This Sermon is found in diverss Books of Sermons written in the old English or Saxon tongue whereof two books be now in the hands of the most Reverend Father the the Arch-bishop of Canterbury Here followeth the words of Aelfricke Abbot of St. Albons and also of Malmsbery taken out of his Epistle written to Wulfsine Bishop of Scyrburn It is found in a book of the old Saxon tongue wherein be XLIII Chapters of Canons and Ecclesiastical Constitutions and also Liber Poenitentialis that is a Penitential book or Shrift book divided into Four other books the Epistle is set for the 30. Chapter of the Fourth book Intituled in the Saxon tongue be preost sinothe that is a Synod concerning Priests and this Epistle is also in a Canon book of the Church of Exeter SOme Priests keep the housel that is hallowed on Easter day all the year for sick men But they do greatly amiss because it waxeth hoary And these will not understand how grievous pennance the Penitential book teacheth by this if the housel become hoary and rotten or if it be lost or be eaten of Mise or of beasts by negligence Men shall reserve more carefully that holy housel and not reserve it too long but hallow other of new for sick men alwaies within a week or a fortnight that it be not so much as hoary For so holy is the housel which to day is hallowed as that which on Easter day was hallowed That housel is Christs body not bodily but ghostly Not the body which he suffered in but the body of which he spake when he blessed bread and wine to housel a night before his suffering and said by the blessed bread This is my body and again by the holy wine This is my blood which is shed for many in forgivness of sins Vnderstand now that the Lord who could turn that bread before his suffering to his body and that wine to his blood ghostly that the self same Lord blesseth daily through the Priests hands bread and wine to his ghostly body and to his ghostly blood Here thou seest good Reader how Aelfrick upon finding fault with an abuse of his time which was that Priests on Easter day filled their housel box and so kept the bread a a whole year for sick men took an occasion to speak against the bodily presence of Christ in the Sacrament So also in another Epistle sent to Wulfstane Arch-bishop of York he reprehending again this overlong reserving of the housel addeth also words more at large against the same bodily presence His words be these SOme Priests fill their box for housel on Easter day and so reserve it a whole year for sick men as though that housel were more holy then any other But they do unadvisedly because it waxeth black or altogether rotten by keeping it so long space And thus is he become guilty as the book witnesseth to us If any do keep the housel too long or loose it or Mise or other beasts do eat it see what the Penetential book sayeth by this So holy is altogether that housel which is hallowed to day as that which is hallowed on Easter day Wherefore I beseech you to keep that holy body of Christ with more advisement for sick men from Sonday to Sonday in a very clean box or at most not to keep it above a fortnight and then eat it laying other in the place We have an example hereof in Moses books as God himself hath commanded in Moses law How the Priests should set on every Saterday twelve loaves all new baked upon the Tabernacle the which were called Panes praepositionis and those should stand there on Gods Tabernacle till the next Saterday and then did the Priests themselves eat them and set other in the place Some Priests will not eat the housel which they do hallow But we will now declare unto you how the book speaketh by them Presbyter missam celebrans non audens sumere sacrificium accusante conscientia sua Anathema est The Priest that doth say Mass and dare not eat the housel his conscience accusing him is accursed It is less danger to receive the housel then to hallow it He that doth twice hallow one Host to housel is like unto those Hereticks who do Christen twice one child Christ himself blessed housel hefore his suffering He blessed the bread and brake thus speaking to his Apostles Eat this bread it is my body And again he blessed one Chalice